Texas Show Steer Breed Classification Jason Cleere, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist J.D. Ragland, Extension Agent-Randall County E. L. Schneider, Extension Agent-Robertson County Stephen Hammack, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Emeritus Classifying the breed of a show steer in Texas used to be easy. Only three British breeds were shown. Crossbreeding among them was rare and easily recognized, and only Brahman crosses were shown in Texas. Today, there are as many as 16 breeds and breedcross classes in Texas shows, among about 75 breeds of cattle in the United States that could contribute to the genetic makeup of a steer. To an outsider or novice, placing a steer in a breed class might appear to be relatively simple. Just read the specifications for a class and then find an animal that meets the criteria right? But it s a little more complicated than that. Consider, for example, the characteristics for a Hereford steer: characteristics of a purebred Hereford Red body with white face, white underline, and white-marked legs Feather neck Horned Herefords must show evidence of being dehorned Factors that alone are not disqualifying but may in combination indicate non-hereford genetics: Dark red color Red neck Solid red or solid white ear; must have some white on the back of both ears; ear size and shape are questionable Excess white on legs Excess white above the underline Eye pigment Black hair in tail, ear, or on rear end of animal Black spotting/smut or freckling on the nose Line back White above switch in tail White across rump above the twist Absolute disqualifying factors: Any color pattern other than red or white (birthmarks excluded) Extreme muscle definition (freakish) White off shoulder in the feather These are all visual factors. So, eligibility for the class is determined only by visual appraisal, as evaluated by classifiers appointed by show management. Registration papers, breeder affidavits, or other paperwork are not considered. Keep this in mind when selecting prospects. The word or opinion of a breeder, seller, adviser, friend, or enemy may be useful as a guideline. Even knowing the exact breeding of an animal is no guarantee, because genetics and visual appearance do not always match. The example shows that the class is not simply for Hereford steers but rather for steers that appear to be Hereford, in the classifiers judgment. With this background, let s look at the descriptions for the various types and breeds. The authors would like to recognize the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association, the Texas Association of Extension 4-H Agents, the Vocational Agricultural Teachers Association of Texas, and Texas and national purebred cattle associations for their input in preparing this document. The following guidelines were developed by representatives of these organizations during the Texas Steer Classification Workshop that was held September 13 & 14, 2011 in Waco, Texas.
British Type This group includes cattle that appear to be purebred Angus, Hereford, Polled Hereford, Red Angus, and Shorthorn. Angus characteristics of a purebred Angus Solid black Polled Needs to have a tight sheath that is round and perpendicular to the ground Angus-type ear set, small to moderate ear size high on the head Continental breed type structure (being coarse about his joints, not to be confused with big-boned cattle) and head (lower ear set between the top of the poll to the eye) Bumps where horns would be on a horned animal Birthmarks or white hair in the switch should be reviewed for the skin color (black skin color is acceptable; white or pink skin is a disqualification) Non-Angus type ear set (excessive ear size and set as in Continental breeds) Large navels and angular sheaths White skin resulting in white hair above the underline or in the front of the navel (white on the navel is acceptable) White skin resulting in white hair on the leg, foot, or tail Horns or scurs Dehorning scars Hereford Ideal Breed Characteristics characteristics of a purebred Hereford Red body with white face, white underline, and white-marked legs Feather neck Horned Herefords must show evidence of being dehorned (but not necessarily desirable; in combination may be discriminating) Dark red color Red neck Solid red or solid white ear; must have some white on the back of both ears; ear size and shape are questionable Excess white on legs Excess white above the underline Eye pigment Black hair in tail, ear, or on rear end of animal Black spotting/smut or freckling on the nose Line back White above switch in tail White across rump above the twist Coarse joints, head, or ribs Straight-line white markings on legs White above the hocks, on the outside and back side of rear legs Excess pigment or color around the eyes Red neck in combination with excess white on legs Any color pattern other than red or white (birthmarks excluded) Extreme muscle definition (freakish) White off shoulder in the feather
Polled Hereford Ideal Breed Characteristics characteristics of a purebred Polled Hereford Red body with white face, white underline, and white-marked legs Feather neck Must be polled or have loose scurs, only in the skin (but not necessarily desirable; in combination may be discriminating) Dark red color Red neck Solid red or solid white ear; must have some white on the back of both ears; ear size and shape are questionable Excess white on legs Excess white above the underline Eye pigment Black hair in tail, ears, or on rear end of animal Black spotting/smut or freckling on the nose Line back White above switch in tail White across rump above the twist Coarse joints, head, or ribs Straight-line white markings on legs White above the hocks, on the outside and back side of rear legs Excess pigment or color around the eyes Red neck in combination with excess white on legs Any color pattern other than red or white (birthmarks excluded) Extreme muscle definition (freakish) White off shoulder in the feather Red Angus characteristics of a purebred Red Angus Solid red with varying shades Polled A blond, light red, or mixed switch Black hair on the tail, muzzle, face, neck, and legs Coarse joints or head Bumps where horns would be on a horned animal Solid white switch Horns or scurs White above the underline or in front of the navel White on the leg Black pigmentation of the skin (having all three areas of black pigmentation: on the nose, around the eyes, and on the anus) Dehorning scars or evidence of dehorning Shorthorn characteristics of a purebred Shorthorn Solid red; solid white with red hair or red pigment on ear, muzzle, or tail; or any combination of red and white, with the red and white color pattern bleeding together Motley face or brockle face Orange or light red color Black nose pigment, such as yellow or yellow roan Blacks, blue roans, or grays Solid white with no red pigment on the ears, tail, or anus
Brahman Type This group is sometimes called American Breeds. Physical evidence of Brahman background is important (ear length and shape, amount of hide, and, most important, hump placement). Figure 1 provides a description of the sheath score system utilized in the guidelines. American Breeds Cross Any color or color pattern Progression of to include Bos indicus-influenced head, eye, ear of adequate length, slightly drooping and opening down and forward, and showing Bos indicus influenced sheath Crest or slick neck Sheath score of 2 or more and exhibiting Bos indicus influence ear characteristics; sheath score is of less Bos taurus head Bos taurus short ear Bos taurus eye Sheath score of 1 A combination of a Bos taurus head, eye, and ear Without adequate Bos indicus head, eye, and ear characteristics, sheath score is irrelevant Brahman characteristics of a 50% purebred Brahman A prominent hump beginning in the middle of the shoulder and going forward but must angle back down to the neck Any color or color pattern ear characteristics; sheath score is of less Sheath score of 1 A crest with an inadequate hump Brangus characteristics of a purebred black Brangus Solid black Progression of to include Bos indicus-influence head, eye, and ear of moderate length, slightly pointed, drooping and opening down and forward ear characteristics; sheath score is of less Shows some evidence of a crest Scurs or slick spots Excessive, pendulous sheath Inadequate Bos indicus-influence head, eye, and ear characteristics Brown dilution over ribs, foreflank, twist and muzzle Sheath score of 1 Horns Dehorning scars White above the underline or in front of the navel White on the legs, feet, or tail Any brindle
Santa Gertrudis characteristics of a 50% purebred Santa Gertrudis Any color or color pattern Moderate crest, no definite hump Moderate dewlap development Moderate length of ear, slightly drooping and opening forward Sheath score 2 5 Not necessary to show predominant Bos indicus characteristics ear characteristics, sheath score is of less Discriminatory Breed Characteristic Straight, pendulous sheath Sheath score of 1 Absence of Bos indicus-influence head, eye, ear, or sheath Absence of any visible Santa Gertrudis characteristics Simbrah characteristics of a purebred Simbrah A sheath score of 2 or greater ear characteristics; sheath score is of less Stocking legs Bald, blaze, or streak face Solid black, red, light red, gray, smut, or yellow, or a combination of white with any of the previously listed colors A sheath score of 1 A Bos taurus head A Bos taurus ear A Bos taurus eye Mottled face A combination of a Bos taurus head, ear, eye, and sheath Roans
Continental or Exotic Type Included here are Charolais (half-blood and higher), Chianina (predominant), Limousin (half or higher), Maine-Anjou (half or higher), and Simmental (purebred). At the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo there are separate classes for these five Continentals, as well as a class for Other Breeds and Crosses, which includes all breeds not already discussed as well as steers classified out of any of the above. At Fort Worth, Dallas, and many smaller shows, all Continentals and any other steer that is not purebred British or American breed or cross are shown together. There are no specific physical requirements for any of these Continental classes except that they show evidence of the breed in which they are entered. Depending on the breed, it can be difficult to classify these classes, because most may contain at least one-half of any other breed or combination breed. Charolais characteristics of a 50% purebred Charolais White, yellow gray, or silver (moderate dappling allowed) Expression of diluter gene Painting or spotting less than 20% Skunk tail, line back, baldy Excessive painting or spotting (over 20%) Frail bone work and frail general appearance Light red color or orange Short, stubby head Overly refined, narrow head Excessive dark pigmentation (eyes, nose, ears, and anus) Excessive dappling Black, red, dark smuts Showing no diluter gene, unless solid white Chianina Must exhibit Chianina influence in head (ear, eye, and nose) and skeleton Any shade of black, red, gray, or yellow, baldies, blaze faces, and motleys Head tends to be narrow thru the center part of the skull and exhibits a longer muzzle Muscle conformation tends to be smooth, not coarse or excessively round Skeleton tends to be lighter and smoother jointed Coarse joints or skeleton Excessive spotting above the underline Appears to be a purebred of any other breed
Limousin General Breed Characteristics Head o Eye Deeper socket, prominent brow, light pigment around eye on reds o Poll Tends to be wider o Ear Tends to be smaller o Muzzle Tends to be short Sheath o Tend to have a forward angle Legs/foot o Tend to be not heavy-boned o Tend to be flat boned characteristics of a 50% purebred Limousin Solid black, red, light red, charcoal black, yellow, blond Bald face Smooth joints and skeleton Coarse joints, skeleton, and head Stocking legs Spotting above the underline Roans Pencil sheath, hanging straight down Pointed poll Tends to not have an excessive crest Maine Anjou Solid red Solid black Red and White Black and White Heavy skeletal structure None Roan Appears to me more than 50% of any other breed Simmental characteristics of a purebred Simmental Larger, longer head Larger ear, lower set Solid black, red, light red, red and white, yellow and white, black and white Painting or spotting above the underline Stocking legs Bald, blaze, or streak face Skunk tail 40% or more white above the underline around the eyes and muzzle Monkey mouth Diluter color patter Smut or gray Roans
Classification Glossary American breeds. Breeds created in the United States by interbreeding existing breeds, including at least one tropically adapted breed (most often American Brahman). Bald face. Appearance when white covers most of the face. Blaze or streak face. A wide strip of white down the face to the muzzle. Bos indicus (zebu). Subspecies of cattle originating in south Asia; has a prominent hump on top or in front of shoulder. Bos taurus. Subspecies of cattle; originated in west Asia but is usually called European. Brindle. A streaking of black, brown, or white on the body of the steer (tiger stripe). British/English. Cattle originating in the British Isles; Angus, Hereford, and Shorthorn are most numerous in the United States. Brockle or motley face. Red or black spotting on a white or bald face. Continental. Breeds originating in Continental Europe; sometimes called European or Exotic. Diluter gene. A gene that determines color. Cattle that carry both copies of the gene will appear white. Non-diluter cattle will appear black or dark red, whereas those carrying a single diluter gene will appear gray or yellow.. Characteristics that are not reason for absolute disqualification but in combination with other discriminatory visual characteristics could lead to disqualification. Horned. Horns are solidly attached to the skull with blood circulation in tips, or there is evidence of dehorning. Painting. Large white markings covering a major portion of the steer. Pigmentation. Dark skin coloring on the points of the steer (eyes, nose, ears, anus, tail). Polled. Naturally hornless. Purebred. Showing visual characteristics of a particular breed and none of any other breed. Scurs. Horny tissue or rudimentary horn attached to skin but not the skull with no blood circulation in the tips. Sheath score. Scoring system from 1 to 5 based on the length of the sheath (1 = little sheath; 5 = excess sheath). See Figure 1 for photos. Smut. Dark gray color pattern. Spotting. White spots on the steer. Summary In the commercial beef industry, most cattle are sorted by visual characteristics into numerous groups for marketing purposes. Similarly, during livestock shows, participating steers are sorted into breed classes based on visual characteristics. As you can see, in most classes there are generally few factors that will absolutely disqualify an animal, and those are usually easily identified. Instead, most disqualified animals have more than one subjectively evaluated discriminatory characteristic. Steers should be selected and shown based only on their visual appearance because that is how they will be evaluated for classification. Remember that classifiers are asked to exercise their judgment. If your steer is classified out, it doesn t mean that the classifier or anyone else is accusing you of lying, cheating, or being unethical. Nor does it mean that the steer cannot be the breed you say it is. Look at breed classification as the first stage of judging. Don t be too upset if the classifier makes (or you think he or she has made) a mistake. It s all a matter of judgment.
Figure I. Sheath Scores Score I Score 2 Score 3 Score 4 Score 5